Northeast US storm

ATLANTIC CITY: Strong winds and heavy rain pounded parts of the US Northeast, knocking out power to more than a half-million homes and businesses, delaying and diverting flights, and stranding about 500 passengers on a train for more than five hours. New Jersey Transit spokeswoman Penny Bassett Hackett said a northbound train became stuck on the tracks more than halfway through its trek from Trenton to New York City on Saturday.

TOKYO: A strong earthquake hit off the eastern coast of central Japan on Sunday, rattling buildings across a broad swath of the country, including the crowded Tokyo capital. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, and the government said there was no danger from tsunamis. The quake had an initial estimated magnitude of 6.6, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. It hit at 0808 GMT on Sunday, or 5:08 pm local time. The quake was centered about 80 km off the eastern coast of Fukushima Prefecture.

Abu Sayyaf leader

MANILA: A Filipino militant wanted by Washington has become leader of a key faction of Abu Sayyaf, the al-Qaida-linked extremist group in the southern Philippines for which he has previously acquired foreign funding, the Philippine military says. A military report obtained by The Associated Press on Sunday says the militant, Khair Mundus, has connections to funding donors from Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. It also says he has an ideological bent and has begun giving Islamic religious training to Abu Sayyaf fighters.